Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1887-03-01


wood Gods Ringing IA Chestnut Gong tn
summon IA Divinity.
&m FUaciScO Examiner.
\ new and very costly Chinese temple
has been erected on Sacramento street,
near Kearny, and is deserving of mention
~ being by far the most elaborate joss
house upon the Pacific coast. TWAS built
by the Yong Wo Company, which Numbers
no less than II, 200. 900 members, of which
there are probably 10000 upon this coast.
1t is not the usual pagoda-lik structure
OF China, our climate precludinG anything
like that; hut long brick building, with
an open veranda, which extends the entire
length of IT, The lower part OF the build
ing although at brick, not being sufficient
" solid to stand the pressure of so large n
structure aS the temple being built above
il. the architect had it built OF wooden
Studding, completely covered with iron
latb, making it perfectly tire-prOOf The
imitation bronze decoration throughout the
structure is very beautiful and costly, it all
having been done by hand in China II is
made OF Il hard wood peculiar to that coun-
try. which. ny exposure to the air, becomes
almost as hard ~ iron. 1t IS first elahO'
rately carved in birds, flowers, ltuit, all
wonderfully true To nature, and the COW
cred with gold /. al The building is three
stories high, the first and second floors
being used tor stores by some of the
wealthier merchants.
Entering through a long, nicely carpet
ed hall, the visitor aScends two flights of
stairs, and at the very top of the building
finds himself ut the entrance of the tenn.
pie. lie enters a long open piazza which
faces Kearney street. and affords most
beautiful view of the bay. The railing is
handsomely decorated with large vases at
growing plants and trailing vines, and
immense round and square Chinese
lanterns, which are always lighted at
night, hang from the ceilings.
The square lanterns are especially
beautiful, being uf the most delicate cut
LASS, a yard long and one foot wide, each
side Ornamented with Chinese LANDSCAPES
most Skilfully exec ted by native artists
There are three rooms in the temple; the
one on the lclt-hand side leads into u
large audience room, handsomely carpctcd
and furnished with straightforward
wooden chairs. covered with GRIM
son cloth deliberately worked in mas
Siye gold embroidery. Chinese pie
lures OF birds and trees, particularly we'll
delineated, decorate the halls. THIS
room is used for any business they desire
to transact. Leading out of il to % second
room, similarly decorated, is used rs a
social parloT, and ut each end Is small
rOom-One for the priests, the other for the
president of the company, who being a
nObleman, has his name and neal painted
upon the window. Across the glass is
painted long, naked branches of bamboo.
on which swarms Of flies have settled.
! Two chairs, q table and a lounge comprise
! the furniture of this apartment.
The central room, the joss house proper
| is about sixty feet along by titty-lour feet
wide. A long table at which two Chimes,
are constantly employed in writing on
sheets of paper, which are bought by the
! Chinese who come to burn them in pro
initiation before the image Of Maquin, the
god who protects them from all evil
| He occupies niche OF thu
right hand near the door, and il
represented as an old gray-hairCd man, sit
ting clothed in the richest garments, will
the wand of destiny in his ham. Very
near him is the stone furnace, which i
about two feet long by three feet wide
where the paper offerings are burned.
The Chinese believe that when they burr
money here il goSs to their dead iriCdds
sort ofspiritual coin which they Use ant
need.
Suspended directly in front Of the doc
is a large piece of bronze in the form oil
crown, very costly and bearing representa-
tions of various scenes Of judicial life II
China. Behind it is an. altar with enor
mons vases of artificial flowers and pea
cock feathers, which they always place
before their dead rs we do flowers. q,
each side are handsome bronze vase;
filled with sticks of punk, tina incenS
of which, when burning, they bellev'
serves as food to their dead friends, ant
large wax candles which they light Il
\ guidc them on their way To the Chimes
heaven. When = Cmnaman wishes u
worship he first rings huge bronze gonl
" hieh hangs near the furnace To call TIN
oods he wishes To see into the temple
They believe that when not called the
are out protecting the Chinese. lie thei
offers a burnt sacrifice to protee
himself from evil, and taking thes
vases of punk shakes then
before the idol or image Of the god he ha
called. Shaking horizontally, il one fall
out he picks it up and looks at the numbe
upon the end, which he gives to one OF tn
Cinnamon in charge, who hands him
private slip corresponding to the num6e
ON the pink. This tells his fortune 10
the coming year. Behind the altar al
ready described is q sort of throne WHEREOF
sit the three most important gods. In
largest, the one in the centre, IL the Goo
of the Sun. To him they look for sue
cess in agriculture and business. The ON
on the right is the God of the Moon. III
gives them health and rules the tides, etc
To the one on the lett, the God OF th'
Earthquake, they pray for protection iron
disaster. Near the throne on the RICH
stands the God OfGhOsts or Spirits. He
represented standing with great tears roll
ing down his cheeks. The story of how b